Unmistakable
The vineyards of Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses in Côte de Beaune.
From the grand cru route, you can’t mistake these hills with any other in Côte de Beaune. In the top of the east-facing hill you can see Corton, the only red Grand Cru in the Côte de Beaune. The soil is a mixture of chalk and marl, which is frequently washed down by the rains in spring and autumn.
The painful job in those vineyards is to collect the topsoil after a strong rain and replace it in the top of the hills again. The topsoil in this region is so shallow that in some cases only 40 cm separate the topsoil from the complex subsoil mixture in this region.
In the opposite side of the Corton hills, Corton-Charlemagne and Le Charlemagne are found, west and southeast facing slopes respectively.
In the other side of the road Pernand-Vergelesses is located, in northeast facing slopes and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown in almost equal amounts.
Wines from Aloxe-Corton tend to age well and are harsh when young; minerality is one of its main characteristics.
Curious fact that in some Premier Cru plots in Aloxe-Corton, Aligoté is found, giving unique style, high quality wines, usually sold with low prices.
Exploring the vineyard on foot is in my opinion the best way to understand the differences between wines and varieties.
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